Wednesday, April 27, 2011

"I am in the process of constructing another public sculpture. This one is for installation on 4th Street in downtown Sioux City as part of the "Sculpt Siouxland" program, a juried event designed to promote sculpture and downtown Sioux City. The finished sculpture will be installed May 14 and will be on display there for one year. This is the fourth year I have had a sculpture accepted into this exciting program.

The sculpture is an eight foot tall abstract penguin balancing a spinning beach ball on it's nose. What is a penguin balancing a spinning beach ball on it's nose doing on 4th Street in Sioux City? Good question! It seems there is a new cloud hanging over our lives today. Do you feel it too? It is the realization that everything on our globe is interconnected to everything else and the whole mess is in a very delicate balance. Change in any one area can force changes in other areas. What happens in the Antarctic or in the Amazon or in Greenland can impact change right here in Iowa. And what we do here can effect what happens there. What is the appropriate behavior for us? How should we relate to our environment in a responsible, sustainable way? These are questions raised by the sculpture titled “Do We Care, We Do Care”. The represents a metaphor for nature and our response to nature.

On the horizontal surface of one of the penguin's wings are the letters of three words cut through the aluminum. Because of the way the words are positioned and viewed, the message is not discernible. But as the sunlight passes through the cut-out letters and falls on the sidewalk, the words revealed there appear as a bright sunspot message in the shadow of the sculpture. The message "Do We Care" is arranged in a confusing way and can also be read as "We Do Care". The interpretation is up to the viewer.

Short video of the finished piece!

The beach ball is constructed of curved fins that allow the breeze to spin it around its vertical axis. This movement will compel the passerby to interact with the sculpture and, hopefully, walk away with a more enlightened view of the world.

The images I have included are of a model of the sculpture. Construction of the final sculpture is mostly complete now except for final welding and painting of the beach ball, and grinding a finish on the penguin's body."

That will be fum to see when it's complete Bill!

Join us again for another artist spotlight on the 2011 Artisans Road Trip!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Out Artisans Road Trip artist spot light this week is on Spirit Lake painter Dennis Dykema. Dennis studied art at Morningside College and the University of Northern Iowa from which he earned a Master’s Degree. He taught art in the public schools and for 31 years at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, retiring in 2001 to paint full time. In 2006 he and his wife moved to Spirit Lake where he established a downtown second-floor studio at 1720 Hill Avenue.

“I’ve been fascinated with the landscape for a long time and have come to recognize it as the most prevailing aspect of my environment. In recent years I have begun to explore the landscape subject as it is affected by changing conditions of light and shadow. At the time of day when these are most evident the subtle interplay of texture and surface, intersect with compositional structure of the subject to make, in my mind at least, a complete experience."

"Since my move to Spirit Lake I have discovered that the abundant prairie and wetland area comprising the watershed for the Iowa Great Lakes is a rich subject resource for my recent work. While inspiration for my paintings comes from the landscape I continually explore the interpretation of the subject along a continuum from representation to abstraction. I have found that the most inconsequential scene can be a springboard to several generations of paintings, and it is my objective that the works will ultimately stand independent of the subject origin.”

Dykema's works are included in many public, corporate, and private collections; among them, the Sioux City Art Center, MacNeider Museum of Mason City, 3M Company of Minneapolis, Norwest Banks of Sioux City and Des Moines, Principal Financial Group, Pioneer Company of Des Moines, Pella Rollscreen, and the State of Iowa. His studio welcomes visitors but it would be wise to call 712-299-0957 to be sure.

Check back again for more artists and activities for the 2011 Artisans Road Trip!

Friday, April 8, 2011

The 2011 Artisans Road Trip Artists maps are now updated and linked on the A.R.T. web site!

A.R.T 2011 has 4 regional areas; view each of the regional areas linked to each of the map illustrations below. Each artist is represented by a number. These numbers will be on the keys of the A.R.T. brochures with these maps. The artists and their corresponding number are also under each map on the A.R.T. web site!

Click on each Map below and take a trip via the web site!

The Beautiful View A.R.T. 2011 Map!

(Click on the map for the active web site map!)

The Iowa Great Lakes A.R.T. 2011 Map!

(Click on the map for the active web site map!)

The Prairie Wetlands A.R.T. 2011 Map!

(Click on the map for the active web site map!)

The Ridge and Tallgrass A.R.T. 2011 Map!

(Click on the map for the active web site map!)

There you have it! Take a trip along the 2011 Artisans Road Trip via the web site maps and get a taste for where these artists are and their work!

2016 ART logo

About the Artisans Road Trip!

Professional artists will welcome guests into their studios to discover and purchase quality original works during the fourteenrh annual Artisans Road Trip (A.R.T.) on Saturday and Sunday, October 14 through 15, 2017. The free tour will includes many Northwest Iowa Artists representing several counties.

A.R.T. invites you to travel Iowa’s scenic byways and back roads looking for one-of-a-kind art treasures. Artisans will offer a rare glimpse into creative processes as they demonstrate their craft in personal and unique work spaces.